Brazilian weapons smuggled into Yemen

Latin America’s largest weapons factory Forjas Taurus has been found to be selling weapons to Fares Mohammed Hassan Mana’a, one of the most notorious arms smugglers in Yemen, a Reuters report has revealed.

Mana’a is known for his links with the Houthis. According to the UN, he has been a known smuggler around the Horn of Africa for over a decade, but local communities claim he has been carrying out such activities for much longer.

The Brazilian company shipped 8,000 handguns to Mana’a in 2013 and it was negotiating a shipment of 11,000 guns in 2015 before police raided its office and foiled the plan. It is thought that a portion of these weapons are being used to arm pro former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthis.

Forjas Taurus has had links with Mana’a since 2007, the report said.